A soap that saves lives

It would be a compliment to say that Hideaki Matsui’s senior thesis at Parsons was a wash. The assignment was to come up with a product that would address an important social issue, and the former design student created this landmine-shaped soap in 2006, which has since been picked up by the Whitney. “As the soap disappears, so do the landmines,” says Matsui, who donates $2 from every $8 to the Cambodia Landmine Museum, located outside Siem Reap. The facility contains a school, an orphanage with living facilities for up to 30 at-risk children, and serves as a launching pad for humanitarian and landmine relief outreach initiatives.

Although designed to bring attention to the landmine crisis in over 80 countries around the world, Matsui didn’t ignore the soap’s sensual aspects. It comes in coconut and rosemary mint and contains all-natural ingredients.